BUSINESS NEWS
A Gray businessman is working on the next step for the creation of a brewery for the downtown area with the goal of helping the economic development of the city as well as the success of the business.
Chuck Asbell and his wife Amber are the owners and operators of Ambi Rae Boutique and are business partners with Anndrea Lampkin, who owns Allure Beauty Bar. The two businesses complement each other and share space at 109 Atlanta Road.
The businesses have been open since September of 2022.
Asbell said the idea of the brewery started last September. He said the idea came about because he wanted to be a major contributor to Gray’s growth.
When considering the possibilities, he thought about a brewery.
“It’s always been kind of a dream of mine, since my college days,” the owner said.
Asbell said there has been an explosion in the craft beer industry, but the south, especially Georgia, has not caught up. He said the idea went from being a dream to researching what it would take to be successful.
Asbell said he grew up in Twiggs County and attended college in Milledgeville. He was an outdoor recreation major and worked at a camp in Northeast Pennsylvania for four years.
He said he moved back home, got his paramedic degree and has worked in the Emergency Room at Piedmont for 20 years.
The owner said Amber was born in Macon and moved to Jones County with her family when she was 16. The couple currently live in Twiggs County but plan to move to Jones County.
Asbell said Lampkin is from Columbus, and she and Amber are both nurse practitioners.
He said he has been dabbling with craft beer recipes while the city was making its decision about the brewery ordinance.
The owner, said during his research, he found out there was more interest in the project and resources were available than he had realized.
“I have investors ready to help,” he said.
Asbell said he has been looking at properties because finding a location is the next step. He said the location is needed to apply for rezoning. He made it clear that downtown Gray was his first choice for a location.
The City of Gray zoning code does not have a zoning that allows a brewery. That has been explained in city meetings about the brewery, and it will require a conditional use specific to the location to allow the business to operate.
The owner said realistically it will be six to eight months to get a brewery ready to open if all goes well.
“Our main goal is package distribution, in addition to home sales,” he said.
Asbell said his plan is to start a five-barrel system, and his hope would be to double the operation every two and a half years.
“If this all takes place, we are talking about a lot of jobs, 25-30 in five years,” he said.
Asbell said he is always open to making money, but he really wants to promote the community.
“Gray has something I feel is lost in a lot of America. Our plan is to invest our profits into the community,” he said.
Asbell said they are grateful for the support of their boutique.
He is currently searching for a brew master. The model they are planning is a brewery rather than a brew pub that would have a restaurant inside. The owner said their plan would be to bring in food trucks that would support other Gray businesses.
In addition to Ambi Rae, the partners also own the Terrace on Madison that hosts outdoor events. He said they started booking events in August and have averaged three to four a month.
The owner said the Terrace has tables that seat 70 and has six outdoor patio heaters. They have hosted city events, such as showing the movie Hocus Pocus after the Not So Scary Spectacular this summer. They also hosted a Grinch Day.
Asbell is optimistic about his next venture and the future of craft breweries in Middle Georgia.
“Breweries have become the new wineries. People travel from one of them to another,” he said.
